


The Wall Between Us Falling Down

by xisuthros



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, F/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-22
Updated: 2015-09-22
Packaged: 2018-04-22 22:18:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4852610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xisuthros/pseuds/xisuthros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry almost sacrifices his life to save Caitlin's, and teary Caitlin gets mad at him. Originally posted on my Tumblr (xisuthros).</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Wall Between Us Falling Down

S.T.A.R. Labs shifted and creaked, the lights in the hallways flickering off and on as Barry and Caitlin sprinted towards the garage. Rubble laid half-hazardly throughout the building, and dust clouds began to form as the home of Team Flash slowly began to crumble. Barry used his super-speed and vibrated his arms to create a wind tunnel to cut through the dust. Caitlin looked at him gratefully and continued to run. 

They had been doing fine this morning; nothing had been out of the ordinary. Then suddenly a call came on the police radio saying that there had been an earthquake near the docks. Caitlin could still remember the look on everyone’s face when they had heard that. It was odd; Central City never got earthquakes. What was even more odd was that when Barry had raced down there to help, they discovered that there had been no fault lines anywhere near the epicenter of the quake. 

Caitlin leaped over a pile of rubble and blew the hair out of her eyes as she continued to race down the seemingly endless hallway. She remembered the sinking feeling in her stomach when she had realized they were actually dealing with a metahuman that could create earthquakes and that Barry had run headlong into danger. The scientist had tried to keep her feelings for him from interfering with her work, but him constantly being in danger was making it really hard. 

Barry had made it to the docks and reported through his comms that the earthquake wasn’t caused naturally, but by a metahuman. She remembered leaning back in her chair in exasperation. Of course someone had that power. Just what they needed - an evil earth-bender.

What followed next had to have been the most anxious moments of her life; Barry had somehow gotten it into his head that he should try to bring the meta in. He had quickly realized that the metahuman not only could affect the earth, but could manipulate the vibrations in matter itself. He seemed to be so proficient with the power that he had managed to retain a vibration shield around himself while he fought Barry, making it impossible for the speedster to get at him. 

Barry found this out the hard way as Caitlin had to listen helplessly to the sounds of him getting his ass handed to him. The readings on the suit had been showing multiple broken bones, a concussion, and severe internal bleeding. When they finally (and frantically) got to the place the fight happened, Caitlin had found Barry lying in the midst of a collapsed building. She remembered trying to keep her hands from shaking as she looked him over. 

He wasn’t breathing. 

Scrambling, she checked his pulse. Nothing.

Hurriedly starting CPR, she desperately tried to force air into his lungs, ignoring the burning sensation she got when she had pressed her lips against his. Now was not the time. When he had suddenly gasped and started breathing again on his own, Caitlin had nearly kissed him for real but stopped herself just as she reached forward. 

A choked sob escaped her throat when she saw a long gash on the side of his head, nearly cutting to the bone. Relief washed over her as he had suddenly looked at her and seen recognition in his eyes. Caitlin had made a vow to herself then that she would never, ever, let him let him go. She had experienced for a brief moment what life would have been like without Barry Allen, and it was too heartbreaking for her to bear. She needed him, whether he felt the same way about her or not, and she was never going to loose him again. 

The fact that the metahuman was now attacking S.T.A.R. Labs made things that much more difficult for them now, as they navigated their way through all the debris. Her silent vow was what made Caitlin stare speechlessly at Barry as they came to the garage door, his words still ringing in her ears from a few seconds before. 

“I have to stop him.”

Caitlin felt her heart breaking and immediately moved in front of him. “Are you insane?” She nearly yelled. “You almost died the last time you went out there! He’ll tear you to shreds!” Barry rolled his eyes, and she could tell he was trying to bring some humor into the situation. 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Caitlin. I believe in you too.” He said sarcastically. She was not amused. 

“Barry Allen, don’t you dare go into that garage! I will not let you get yourself hurt again.” she said fiercely. 

Even though he could have sped past her, Barry remained where he stood and suddenly looked immeasurably sad. He mumbled something that Caitlin had to strain to hear amongst all the falling rubble. 

“I can’t let him hurt you.”

A thrill ran down her spine as she tossed the words back and forth in her head. What did he mean? Hurt her specifically, like as someone he liked or as just a friend? More importantly, where was this sacrificial attitude coming from?

“Barry,” she began slowly. “Have you been hanging out with Oliver too much again?” He laughed at that and ran a hand over his face.

“Maybe.” He said finally. “But I do need to stop him.” Barry moved to go past her, but she mimicked his movements to stand in front of him. 

“Barry, I will not let you go in there!” Caitlin repeated, a fire growing in her stomach as she tried to protect the one person she couldn’t live without. “Its suicide.”

The speedster suddenly looked frustrated. “Caitlin, I can’t let him hurt anyone else!” he said. “That man is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people. Fathers, mothers, and children.” Caitlin could sense him slipping away.

“And nearly you!” She blurted out, shocked at herself for how broken her voice seemed to be. Barry looked her her curiously. 

She went on. “Those few minutes that we thought he’d killed you were the worst of my entire life. Seeing you lying there, bleeding, and nearly dead broke my heart, Barry. I can't go through that again.” Caitlin could feel tears starting to form in her eyes as he pressed both her hands to his chest, preventing him from moving any further. She pointedly ignored the fact her body was buzzing at the contact. 

Barry looked torn. “But he’ll hurt everyone!” He exclaimed. “I can’t live with that!”

Caitlin suddenly had the unbelievable urge to punch him in the face. How can he still not get that she couldn’t live with him dying? She was in love with him for god’s sake! Her heart did a little flip as she finally admitted that to herself and felt her cheeks begin to redden. He was her everything, and here he goes trying to get himself killed. 

Her sudden silence must have convinced him to finally go in there, so he tried to brush past her again, causing her to snap out of her reverie. Seeing him attempting to leave again broke something inside her like a dam. Without thinking, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her, using her other one to grab his jacket possessively. Caitlin noticed how he suddenly seemed to stop breathing.

Both of them looked at each other intently, their faces barely inches apart. She could care less about the falling building, the alarms blaring in the distance, or even the dangerous metahuman in the other room. All that she cared about was staring right at her with an expression she had never seen before, his eyes dark and his mouth slightly open. She noticed his eyes flick down to her lips for a split second and felt her hand instinctively grip his jacket tighter. Her expression must have said what she desperately wanted to because suddenly Barry’s lips were on hers and everything just seemed to slide into place. 

Gripping each other tight, Caitlin found herself getting lost in him. He smelled like rubble and sweat but also citrus and, well, home. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she smiled against his lips as she felt his hands come around her waist. His kiss was reverent, as if he had been wanting to do it as long as she had, his touch gentle and slow. She tilted her head and pulled him in closer, her lips suddenly becoming hungry and frantic. Her hands moved up to his hair and Caitlin felt her back hit the concrete wall as Barry pressed her up against it. 

She moaned as he tore his lips away from hers and placed kissed up and down her neck, nibbling on her earlobe and sucking on her pulse point. Her mind going blank, she vaguely felt one of her legs come up to wrap around his waist, trying frantically to pull him in closer and closer. 

A giant BOOM suddenly snapped them out of their heated trance, though they still clung to each other so tight that Caitlin had difficulty defining what part was her and what part was Barry. He looked back at her and leaned in to give her a long, slow kiss. She cupped his face, tears forming as she tried to make this moment last as long as she could, not willing to ever let it go. 

It was that thought that made a ball of determination form in her. She was never going to let him go, no after this. Barry must have seen her expression as he slowly removed his lips from hers because he started to speak. 

“Caitlin, I can’t stay-” he began, but she cut him off. 

“I’m going with you.” Caitlin stated flatly. 

He shook his head, mortified. “No, there is no way I’m letting you go in there with me! He’ll hurt you!” She raised her jaw defiantly. 

“Not if we work together.” The scientist reasoned. 

Barry ran a hand through his hair. “I finally managed to admit how I feel about you and you suddenly want to go rushing headlong into danger?” He asked, exasperated. She laughed at the irony.

“Welcome to the club.” She said and grabbed his hand partly to feel his touch again, but also to keep him from running away. 

“We can do this.” Caitlin said determinedly, causing Barry to look at her again. “Together.” Something in her face must have convinced him because she saw him slowly give in.

He sighed. “Alright, fine.” Barry said, and she leaned forward to slide another slow kiss to his lips. With his eyes still shut contently after she leaned back, he asked. “What’s the plan?” He opened his eyes slowly to her fierce expression. 

“We go teach that bastard to never mess with us again.” She laughed when he looked half-scared and half-turned on. He blushed profusely. 

Taking his hand, they walked together towards the door, ready to face whatever came at them next together.


End file.
